Vrinda Bachchan
‘Half Brothers’ is a dramedy that tells the tale of a Mexican aviation executive who discovers that he has an American half brother and goes on a road trip with him to retrace their father’s migration to the United States. The story focuses on Renato, who has never forgiven his father Flavio for leaving him and his mother behind when he moved to the States from rural Mexico. One day, Renato finds out that his father is on his deathbed in Chicago.
Albeit reluctantly, Renato goes to meet him and is shocked to learn of the existence of his half brother Asher. Flavio sends both his sons on a road trip that traces his path from Mexico into the United States, hoping that experiencing his journey will allow Renato to understand why he could never return and finally forgive him in death. It’s a funny and heartwarming bromance, at times truly touching. But is ‘Half Brothers’ based on a real-life incident? Let’s find out.
Is Half Brothers Based on a True Story?
No, ‘Half Brothers’ is not based on any true story. The makers of the film – co-writer and producer Eduardo Cisneros, co-writer Jason Shuman, and director Luke Greenfield – have never claimed that the movie’s story is based on any real-life incident. Of course, some comedy scenes in the film are too ridiculous and slapstick to be inspired by actual events. The story comes from the mind of writer Eduardo Cisneros, and it is pure fiction.
In an interview with The Philadelphia Inquirer, Cisneros said that the idea for the story of ‘Half Brothers’ stemmed from his reflections and musings about his childhood in Mexico to his current life in Los Angeles. He said in the interview, “I was looking at what was happening in my life, being an immigrant. Then I began to imagine a father trying to explain to his adult children all the things that he couldn’t fully explain when they were kids. So, that was the genesis.”
According to director Greenfield, ‘Half Brothers’ is, at its core, a tale about forgiveness – about a son forgiving his father’s mistakes when he travels in his shoes and looks at things from his father’s perspective. That part of the story certainly rings true and is surely relatable to most of us. As humans, we tend to hold grudges until we walk in someone else’s shoes, particularly our parents. And once we empathize, forgiveness and understanding follow soon after. While ‘Half Brothers’ may not be rooted in reality, the emotion it displays and evokes feels quite real.
Read More: Where Was Half Brothers Filmed?
